Distance
by Pluckycross
Summary: A story of Plucky and Valiant's journey. after they are taken far away from White Deer Park they must make there way back through peril and danger. Along the journey they will find Love, Loss and Pain but nothing will stop them from returning home and making there own legend.
1. White Deer Park

Plucky wandered through the woods, his paws sunk slightly into the soft, marshy ground. He was on his way to see Dash, his old friend. Since he had become leader he hadn't had chance to spend any time with her and he was beginning to miss her company. As he trotted around the perimeter fence of White Deer Park on his way her set he noticed something strange. On the edge of the downland there was a van parked and two men were stood facing each other having a conversation. He noticed one of the men as the warden but the other was a stranger he had never seen before.

"Strange" He mumbled to himself "The warden hasn't been around the down land for ages, I wonder what he is doing?".

His thoughts were cut short as he heard a very excitable voice behind him.

"Plucky!" The voice said and he turned around to see Dash racing towards him.

She jumped at him and knocked him over on his side, proceeding to nuzzle him lovingly.

"It's been so long since I last saw you" She exclaimed " I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me"

"You know I would never" Plucky replied as he got back to his feet "It's just...Things have been so busy lately, what with Roamer and Valiant at each other's throats again, and I haven't had chance to get away with it all"

"You would have thought two grown foxes would be able to sort out their quarrel" Dash said " I mean it's only one vixen". Plucky chuckled at Dash's remark.

"It is spring time, you know?" he said,

"Do you know that?" Dash threw back. Plucky's smiled turned to a frown, he looked hurt.

"I'm sorry" Dash said "I didn't mean to…". Plucky laughed,

"Got you again" he exclaimed as he continued to chuckle away "and yes I do know. It's that I haven't really spoke to any vixens. To busy. Anyway I didn't come here just to talk, Shall we?"

"We shall" Dash shouted as she sped off through the bushes. Plucky took a second to register before he sped off after her.

* * *

Fox was laid outside of his earth basking in the heat of the Spring morning. He was old now, much older than when he had made the famous trip from Farthing Wood to White Deer Park but his eyes still shone with the same vigour and spirit as they always had. Next to him, his mate Vixen was laid with the head resting on his back as she too took in the morning sun. In the branches above there was so rustling as Owl came to land on one of the branches.

"Enjoying the sun, I see" she exclaimed,

"It's beautiful" Vixen said "The perfect weather for the perfect day"

"Yes it is" replied Owl "Anyways I just came to inform you that there has been another row between Charmer's cubs and Friendly's cubs".

"Not Roamer and Valiant again" Vixen sighed "They really need to cut it out, they are supposed to be adults now",

"I concur" Owl said,

"Owl you should really be taking this to Plucky, he is the leader now" Fox said as he opened his eyes and yawned deeply "I don't see what help I could be in my age anyway".

"It never hurts to stay informed." Owl replied "aswell I believe that this new job is putting quite a lot of strain on Plucky",

"Thank you, Owl" Fox said "I will go and speak to Plucky later, if i can find him",

"My pleasure as always" Owl hooted as she took flight,

"I hope Plucky is doing ok" Vixen said worriedly.

"He is a smart young cub" Fox replied "He just needs to know he always someone to rely on" ,before returning his head to his paws and closing his eyes. Vixen did likewise.

* * *

"What makes you think she would ever want to be with you" Roamer growled at Valiant " You're weak". Valiant laughed at the blue fox,

"I may not be as strong as you in terms of my physical appearance, but i'm much stronger in other aspects" he retorted.

"Like what" Roamer said "Looking like an idiot", he laughed. Valiant dropped down into a crouch and growled at Roamer,

"Let's see who is weak" He said, barring his teeth as he prepared to lunge.

"Stop it you two" A voice suddenly called from the bushes as Plucky burst into the clearing with Dash at his side "I've had it up to here with you two and your petty arguments, she is one vixen and you are supposed to be grown adults. Yet you seem to forget that and instead continue this stupid quarrel. Here I was thinking I might just have a few hours off and per usual I find you to squabbling like cubs". Valiant turned to Plucky with a look of remorse on his face, he respected Plucky and he hadn't realized how much trouble they had been causing. Roamer however turned to Plucky and said

"What would you know about vixens, none of them ever want to be around you. You're just a lonely old fox". Plucky looked at him and replied

"Still young, not lonely and next time you say anything like that. You won't get past the first word before you're on the ground. We will see who is old then" before he turned around and left the clearing with Dash trailing besides him, awestruck by his sudden outburst.

* * *

"You don't think I was too hard on him, do you?" Plucky turned to Dash and asked as they walked away.

"He was out of line" she replied "he doesn't understand that you could outrun, out think and outfight him any day",

"Well lets hope it doesn't come to that" he mumbled to her. Behind him Plucky could hear someone calling his name, so he turned around to see Valiant running to try and catch up with him. Valiant drew near him and stopped, saying

"Plucky i'm sorry. I had no idea we were causing you so much hassle. I truly as sorry. Can you forgive me?". Plucky smiled at the younger fox,

"It's ok" he said "We all do strange and stupid things sometimes. But why have you too let this get so out of hand?".

"It's not really about the vixen" Valiant said quietly "Or at least for me it isn't. It's about how he always seems to do things better than me, have better stories to tell, catch more when he hunts and gets more attention. I feel left out. I guess I thought that maybe, If I could best him in one thing I might feel better.".

Plucky turned to face Valiant

"But that's not what finding a mate is about" he replied "You shouldn't argue over a mate to try and prove you're better than someone, you should look for someone you share a connection with. You are great and special in your own way and if they can't see that then they are missing out".

Plucky smiled at Valiant and turned to leave

"Come on!" he said "You look like you could use something to eat.".

Plucky and Valiant had finished on their hunting trip together and were heading back to their dens. Plucky had caught 2 voles and a field mouse but Valiant was off his game and all he could muster was one field mouse and nothing else.

As they walked through the wood a bright light could be seen in the distance,

"I wonder what that is" Plucky said to Valiant

"Should we check it out?" Valiant asked

"I guess so" was Plucky's reply "I don't see what could go wrong".

Plucky would come to regret those words.


	2. Gone

Plucky and Valiant moved silently through the bushes and trees towards the shining light. The dropped to their stomachs as they got nearer and crawled under a nearby bush to stay hidden. Plucky poked his head out through the leaves and saw the same truck that had been on the down land earlier parked up with its headlights on. There was a man stood at the side of the truck, he looked like he was waiting for someone.

Plucky saw another man enter the clearing, it was the warden. He was holding a whiteboard and as he reached the man he began to point at parts of it whilst talking to the man. Plucky was confused, he didn't know who this man was or what the warden was talking to him about but he knew something was wrong when he saw the man take a cage out of the back of his van and place in front of the warden.

Plucky decided it was time they left.

"Let's go" he said to Valiant

"Yeah" Valiant replied

They turned around to leave and walked straight into one of the traps that the man had already set out.

Plucky slammed his head against the wall

"How could I have been such an idiot" he scolded himself.

Valiant was panicking now

"What do we do?" he asked Plucky, his voice filled with despair.

Plucky dropped his head

"There is nothing we can do" he stated "the humans built these cages to hold animals like us. If we are caught there is no escape.".

They heard footsteps coming towards them and then suddenly the bush was swept aside by a hand and there stood the man. The warden appeared to have taken his leave back to his cottage.

"A pair of foxes already." he chuckled "What luck I'm in. Might not be as long a day as I though.".

He picked up the cage by the handle on top and lifted the two foxes and started off towards his truck.

With a final effort he deposited the cage containing Plucky and Valiant in the back of his truck and left to check on the other cages.

* * *

Dash waited impatiently by the large oak tree where Plucky had agreed to meet her. He was late. They had agreed to meet at midnight but Plucky still hadn't shown and Dash was getting bored of waiting.

She waited a few more minutes before she had, had enough. She turned and sprinted out of the clearing on the hunt for Plucky or someone who might know where he was.

Dash sped through the forest on her way to Fox's earth. She drew up outside of Fox's den to find him and Vixen laid down, basking in the sun.

"Fox!" she exclaimed as she sat impatiently in front of him

Fox raised his head from his paws and yawned deeply.

"Dash, how lovely to see you!" he replied before he saw Dash's face clearly and asked "Whatever is the problem?".

"It's Plucky, he went hunting with Valiant at midday yesterday and he agreed to meet me underneath the great oak today but he didn't show and everyone I asked doesn't know where he is!" she said.

"He is probably just dozing in his den." fox replied

"I have checked, his and all the other foxes den's on Farthing Land. He is not there." she exclaimed.

"Hmm" Fox muttered as he considered the possibilities "who would have been the last one to see him besides Valiant?" Fox finally questioned.

"We were over by Roamer when they went off hunting. He may have seen them." Dash replied

"Then we will go and ask Roamer what he knows, if anything." Fox stated.

* * *

Dash and Fox were sat outside Roamer's den, waiting for him to return from where ever he had gone. They saw a figure moving slowly through the bushes towards them and quietly Roamer entered the clearing.

He was surprised to see Fox there but quickly said

"Fox! To what do I owe the pleasure?".

Roamer respected Fox greatly as he was part of the old legend of Farthing Wood.

"Dash tells me that Plucky has gone missing and you may have been the last person to see him" Fox replied

"Yes, I believe he was heading to the downland when I last saw him. Has something bad happened?" he asked

"We will see" Fox replied as he got up and exited the clearing with Dash at his side.

* * *

The truck shuddered and bounced as it drove down the narrow country lanes, leading away from White Deer Park. In the back a collection of animals sat in cages that rattled with the movement of the truck.

Plucky looked around at the motley group of animals. There were several hares in assorted boxes, mixed with rabbits and 2 voles. The only other predator was a young fox cub sat in a cage in the corner of the truck facing the wall.

"What do you think will happen to us?" Valiant asked as he turned to face Plucky

"I have no idea" Plucky replied "But whatever happens from now I doubt it will be good. Try and get some rest, there is no escaping these cages. We will just have to sit and wait till we are let out"

Plucky lowered himself to the floor and placed his head in his paws, Valiant did likewise.


End file.
